Arches National Park in Moab, UT

Thanksgiving weekend trip to Moab and several hikes in Arches National Park.  This is a view at the end of a short hike called "Park Avenue".  Some recent rain left a few puddles for a reflection in the river bed.

Beautiful Autumn near Batiquitos Lagoon and Moonlight Beach- Encinitas, CA

Onshore winds- Seabluffe- Leucadia, CA

Batiquitos Lagoon Inlet/ Highway 101, CA

Dusk at Moonlight Beach, Encinitas, CA

Eucalyptus and Palm- Batiquitos Lagoon, CA

Apple Pie Ranch, Big Sur, CA

Quick sketch in a small book.  

Apple Pie Ranch is a mountain top retreat above Big Sur with amazing 360 degree views of canyon, valley and ocean. This is the pool and small portion of the gardens.

Southern Utah- Lake Powell

Simple and loose!

Leucadia, CA

Three looser and larger sketches observing tree forms at Batiquitos Lagoon and Seabluffe. Opaque watercolors on Canson paper. 14" x 20"

North shore of Batiquitos Lagoon

South shore of Batiquitos Lagoon

Looking south from Seabluffe

Daybreak paintout event

I completed these paintings in preparation for the event mentioned in the last post.  It was glorious weather that day and I have been asked to paint at another event on Sat. Oct. 26 in Layton, UT.  It is an Open House for Destination Homes.
Looking forward to painting on that site!

North Beach looking toward Harriman

Daybreak Visitors Center

Oquirrh Mountain LDS Temple at edge of Daybreak

May sketches at Leucadia

Had another chance to go to Leucadia, California.  Here are two quick sketches focusing on the the relationship of architecture and trees.  The third is a section of succulent garden I've planted which imitates a coral reef.  It was started outdoors and finished in the studio.  Looser outdoors, then it got tighter in the studio.  That is the nature of taking a painting indoors.

A Spring Break near the beach

An escape from the snow and smog and I got to paint-out with an old college roommate, Ken Harris.
I stopped at the Cajon Pass on my way to CA for a few hours and found myself at "Mormon Rocks".

Ken (seen in silhouette) and I painted above Moonlight Beach in Encinitas, CA.

An overcast sky at the edge of the ocean gave a chance for a moody simple landscape at the Batiquitos Lagoon Trail, Carlsbad, CA.

Painting the Red Rocks of Southern Utah again

On Memorial Day Weekend I had a chance to paint some quick watercolor sketches during rest breaks while canoeing on the Colorado River (11 miles) and hiking in Arches and Canyonlands (8 miles) National Parks! Amazing scenery and fantastic exercise.

Colorado River between Arches and Canyonlands

Open rangeland near Moab, Utah.  

Red Rock Towers on the Squaw Creek loop in Canyonlands

Cynthia, Debra, Me (Brad) and Alan at the boat launch in Moab

I'm told there's no fashion show on the trail.

More Winter paintings before things start blooming

Another painting from "Gardens at Temple Square". 

This is January. 

The other two are simpler high Mountain scenes.

Ahhh, painting outside again! 2 from St. George, UT

Sang a concert in honor of St. George, Utah's sesquicentennial and Dixie College's centennial celebrations with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir on the weekend.

Then..... stayed a couple of extra days to paint with Ken Harris. Beautiful weather, and incredible views, especially at Silver Reef- snowy mountains, red rocks, canyon streams, and distant mesas all from one view spot. It does a body good when you have been trapped in the Salt Lake City winter inversion for a couple of months!! I did one painting of the big panorama and then decided I should compose and edit more simply on the second day at Red Reef a few miles away.